Discussion in Houston on immigration reform and Senator Cornyn pushes border security amendment

Zocalo Public Square held a discussion on the impact of immigration reform in Houston at Rice University last week: http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2013/06/07/immigration-doesnt-bother-houston/events/the-takeaway/


The wide-ranging discussion focused on the differences in the immigration debate between Texas and Washington, and that Texas has generally been welcoming to immigrants, despite being a conservative state.

As the Gang of Eight's immigration reform bill works its way through the Senate, Texas Senator John Cornyn has proposed an amendment (RESULTS) that would increase requirements for border security before granting a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.  In an editorial in USA Today, Cornyn emphasizes the need to guarantee a secure border: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/06/09/immigration-border-security-sen-john-cornyn/2406301/


Senate Majority Leader has called the amendment a "poison pill" and other Democratic senators have rejected the amendment, with Reid saying “We have a senator from Texas, Senator Cornyn who wants to change border security, a trigger, saying that it has to be a 100 percent border security, or [there will] be no bill. That’s a poison pill,” Reid said on Univision’s Al Punto."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/harry-reid-john-cornyn-immigration-bill-92463.html#ixzz2VpYjve18

The Senate has scheduled a procedural vote on the immigration bill for Monday afternoon. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/06/09/senate-house-immigration-benefits/2385449/

In the House, the issue of access to healthcare has created divisions in the set of negotiators who hope to complete a bill in the next week or two: 

 

"But there is a bloc of House GOP members -- including 2012 vice presidential candidate Rep Paul Ryan of Wisconsin -- that is pushing for a similar bipartisan approach that the Senate is taking up this week, which includes a path to citizenship. The group represents a minority within the House GOP conference.

 

That bipartisan effort suffered a significant setback last week. A working group, similar to the Senate's "Gang of Eight," has been on the verge of unveiling legislation for months, according to multiple sources. But Rep. Raul Labrador, one of the four GOP members in the group, abruptly dropped out. Like Rubio, who is needed to attract Republican votes in the Senate, reform backers hoped Labrador would play the same role in the House.

 

Labrador was frustrated he couldn't get support for his detailed proposal laying out how undocumented workers in the U.S. would be barred from any taxpayer-funded health care benefits."

http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/10/politics/immigration-house/index.html

Immigration reform moves forward in the Senate and a discussion on the impact of immigration reform in Texas

The Senate immigration reform bill crafted by the "Gang of Eight" survived committee hearings mostly intact, with few amendments allowed to alter the carefully negotiated bill. Despite Senator Schumer's confidence that the bill will pass by July 4th, and Harry Reid's statements that the bill can avoid a filibuster, others, including Marco Rubio, are concerned that the bill doesn't have enough votes to make it to a floor vote.

 

Meanwhile, many Senators on both sides of the aisle are expressing concerns about the border security provisions in the bill and Texas' John Cornyn is preparing amendments to overhaul border security and other sections of the bill.

 

Zocalo Public Square is highlighting the issue of immigration reform in Texas today with a discussion online, and at Rice University on Thursday, June 6th:

 

A Republican Stronghold at a Crossroads: How might immigration reform change Texas politics?

 

Including my contribution:

Terri E. Givens

Following in California’s footsteps                

Immigration reform will have a significant impact on Texas politics in the long term. If the path to citizenship remains in the legislation, it could lead to large numbers of currently undocumented immigrants eventually becoming citizens. The current efforts of political organizers to mobilize the Latino vote in Texas will be critical, in order to develop a constituency which understands the power of the vote and can put forward viable candidates. Even without a path to citizenship, demographics in Texas are changing rapidly.

The changes which occurred in California politics in the late 1990s and early 2000s are instructive for Texas politicians. I lived in California at that time and saw the mobilization of the Latino vote after the passage of Prop. 187. As noted in a New York Times article from last summer the Republican Party in California holds no statewide offices. It's interesting to note that we have the opposite situation here in Texas, with Republicans holding all statewide offices. However, the Democratic party, in particular the new organization Battleground Texas, is pouring significant resources into the state in a bid to make Texas a swing state by the next decade. We have already seen some changes, as in the lack of harsh immigration control measures being put forward during this year's legislative session. It's clear that many politicians in Texas will have to pay attention to issues that are of concern to a changing constituency, and politicians like the Castro brothers from San Antonio may be harbingers of a new political order in the state.

Terri E. Givens is associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. More information at www.immigrationtexas.org.

 

 

 

 



Latest commentary on comprehensive immigration reform

From Politics 365:

Drug Cartel activity inside the U.S. makes headlines

An in-depth investigation into drug cartel activity in the U.S. by the AP indicates new activity: http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/crime/ap-impact-cartels-dispatch-agents-deep-inside-us/nW8NC/

The trial of a group involved in laundering drug cartel money through quarter horse racing has made headlines in Austin: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/trial-offering-glimpse-into-zetas-world/nXZhq/


A case last year highlighted the role of brothers who owned several downtown bars in Austin were linked to drugs and money laundering: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/investigators-link-nightclub-owner-associates-to-1/nRmXg/

Human trafficking has also been a concern as Austin hosts large events like F1: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/increased-enforcement-against-human-trafficking-pl/nS6d8/ 

Will the Boston Bombing have an impact on Immigration Reform?

Even before the perpetrators were know., Rep. Steve King was calling for a slow-down in the push for immigration reform: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/steve-king-boston-bombings_n_3092929.html


Since then, the fact that the perpetrators were of Chechen origin has led more to call for a close look at the immigration bill: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/19/boston-bombing-immigration-bill/2096697/

Some have called amnesty "dead on arrival" http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/19/the-morning-plum-foes-of-immigration-reform-pounce-on-boston-bombing/

Others argued that the fact that Tsarnaez was a naturalized citizen makes it harder to link the bombing to proposed reforms: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/04/its-hard-to-legislate-immigration-law-from-the-boston-bombing/275148/

On Thursday the "Gang of Eight" presented an overview of the bill, while Senator Jeff Sessions held his own gathering to oppose a path to citizenship:
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/immigration-reform-room-bed-bugs/story?id=18992641#.UXMUecpwQ3E

The Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the immigration bill, with Boston a prominent topic:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/19/politics/terror-immigration-hearing/ 

Senate Immigration bill introduced and reactions

The text of the bill is available here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/136415306/Border-Security-Economic-Opportunity-and-Immigration-Modernization-Act-of-2013#download

The Washington Post lays out key provisions of the bill:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/high-hurdles-on-path-to-citizenship-in-senates-immigration-proposal/2013/04/17/a2c8e5a0-a773-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html

Marco Rubio continues to take a lead in promoting the bill, particularly to conservatives:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/18/us-usa-immigration-congress-idUSBRE93H1EN20130418

Senate majority leader Harry Reid has also endorsed the bill:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/17/us-usa-immigration-congress-idUSBRE93G0ZW20130417

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times calls the bill a "breakthrough": http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-immigration-reform-senate-bill-20130418,0,7752571.story

NBC news has compiled reactions to the bill:
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/17/17796995-reactions-abound-following-the-filing-of-senate-immigration-bill?lite

Elise Foley of the Huffington Post says the bill has much that advocates like:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/gang-of-8-bill-immigration_n_3104200.html

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post comments on Rubios roll out of the bill:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/04/18/how-did-rubios-immigration-rollout-go/

Senate Immigration Plan unveiled - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

[with a big h/t to Dan Kowalski https://twitter.com/dkbib]



Despite the bombing attack in Boston, the Senate "Gang of Eight" forged ahead with the unveiling of their immigration proposal, but as noted in an article from the Hill "a press event set up with activists, business leaders and other stakeholders will be postponed."

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/294059-senate-gang-of-eight-will-delay-rollout-of-immigration-reform-bill-in-wake-of-boston-explosion#ixzz2QebeknTu
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

Details were already being criticized by a variety of groups.  The following articles provide overviews of the plan:

From The Hill:  Senate Gang of Eight Reveals Details of Immigration Plan
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/294085-senates-gang-of-eight-reveals-details-of-immigration-plan

From Reuters: Senators Unveil Immigration Reform Bill
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/us-usa-immigration-congress-idUSBRE93F05520130416

Key Provisions from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/senators-immigration-legislation-provisions/

Not sure of the source, but this document provides an outline of the bill:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27924754/136230105-Outline-of-the-Border-Security-Economic-Opportunity-and-Immigration-Modernization-Act-of-2013.pdf

Faith based and civil liberties groups are already calling the path to citizenship too stringent:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/immigration-path-to-citizenship-too-stringent-advocacy-groups-say/2013/04/16/5545c2e8-a698-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_story.html

While civil libertarians were focusing on E-Verify expansion in the Washington Post: Inside the Immigration Bill:  E-Verify Expansion Draws Fire from Civil Libertarians
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/16/inside-the-immigration-bill-e-verify-expansion-draws-fire-from-civil-libertarians/

While the National Journal notes: Deportees Can Come Back under Draft Immigration Bill
http://www.nationaljournal.com/deportees-can-come-back-under-draft-immigration-bill-20130416

The bill also calls for a special path for DREAMers: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/16/inside-the-immigration-bill-special-path-for-dreamers/

Representative Steve King (R-Iowa)  called for immigration reform to be put on hold in light of the Boston bombing: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/16/steve-king-boston-attack-should-delay-immigration-reform/

More to come!

Immigration bill expected to be unveiled on Tuesday

Marco Rubio made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows providing his full support to the proposal:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-endorsement-of-immigration-plan-rubio-makes-first-major-policy-gambit-of-his-career/2013/04/14/20997e84-a519-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html

By going "all in" on supporting the bill, Rubio is taking a calculated risks for his prospects for 2016 as discussed in this article by Politico:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/marco-rubio-immigration-bill-89979.html

An announcement is expected on Tuesday by the Senate "Gang of Eight" and Senator Schumer also was out discussing the bill on Sunday:
http://newyork.newsday.com/news/nation/charles-schumer-says-immigration-reform-bill-expected-tuesday-1.5070938

Meanwhile, businesses have generally been supportive of comprehensive immigration reform, but some details are controversial:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/business-groups-peel-off-as-immigration-details-leak-90045.html?hp=t1

A story in the Los Angeles Times focuses on the impact on legal immigration flows:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-legal-immigration-20130414,0,5787920.story

Another new group has formed to push for reform:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/cambio-immigration_n_3071334.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

An analysis from the National Journal explains why a "messed up" bill may still pass:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/why-a-messed-up-immigration-bill-could-still-pass-20130414